Dance Music and Creative Resilience within Prison Walls, Revisiting Cebu's Dancing Prisoners: Michel Foucault and Philippine Prisons
Using Foucault’s concept of governmentality vis-à-vis Appadurai’s “global ethnoscapes” as frames, I argue for a techno-cultural dimension which brought forth the phenomenon of the “dancing inmates,” an argument against the charge of Filipino colonial mimicry of a Hollywood popular entertainment. Albeit the inmates’ dance routines indeed depict Foucault’s “docile bodies” in his analysis of the modern prison, as pointed out by critics, I am inclined to show how the internet mediation through social media networks awakened a culturally imbibed dance and musical character trait vis-à-vis the jolly cultural disposition of Filipinos. Thus, I view these characteristics as existential responses, hence, ‘creative resilience,’ to the inhuman incarcerating conditions of the prison life through using the art of dance with the aid of media technology. I argue on the role of the internet as the prisoners’ avenue to the outside world that was strategically deprived of them as a form of punishment, and the role of the internet as their last frontier to freedom and to realize their human potentials.
Using Foucault’s concept of governmentality vis-à-vis Appadurai’s
“global ethnoscapes” as frames, I argue for a techno-cultural
dimension which brought forth the phenomenon of the “dancing
inmates,” an argument against the charge of Filipino colonial
mimicry of a Hollywood popular entertainment. Albeit the
inmates’ dance routines indeed depict Foucault’s “docile bodies”
in his analysis of the modern prison, as pointed out by critics, I am
inclined to show how the internet mediation through social media
networks awakened a culturally imbibed dance and musical
character trait vis-à-vis the jolly cultural disposition of Filipinos.
Thus, I view these characteristics as existential responses, hence,
‘creative resilience,’ to the inhuman incarcerating conditions of
the prison life through using the art of dance with the aid of
media technology. I argue on the role of the internet as the
prisoners’ avenue to the outside world that was strategically
deprived of them as a form of punishment, and the role of the
internet as their last frontier to freedom and to realize their
human potentials.
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Dance Music and Creative Resilience within Prison Walls… 147
more mental than physical. We suffer in direct relation to our
respective mental and psychological development…. Human beings in
prison cells certainly suffer the most.” 51
In lieu of the criticism, I wish to open the chance to identify a
distinguishing character trait that is generally observed among
Cebuano-speaking communities, if not a common Filipino trait; and
use this trait as a possible explanation to the dancing inmates’ origin
and existence, as well as the Cebuano’s reception and patronage to the
entertainment offered by the inmates, as regards to their gay, festive,
lively, and playful portrayal relative to musicality and dance. Also, a
living proof to this lively trait are the various music icons who hailed
from Cebu, in the likes and caliber of Pilita Corales, Elizabeth Ramsey,
the novelty-king duo of Yoyoy Villame and Max Surban, among many
other artists. Aside from the natural love for music of the Filipinos,
Visayans are also considered for being naturally happy people.
According to Jesuit historian, Ignacio Francisco Alcina, the word
‘bisaya’, as Cebuanos are fondly called, literally refers to a “happy”
person or one with a “fine and pleasant disposition” due to having
very simple desires and satisfaction. 52 In the same vein, Cebuano
historian Trizer Dale Mansueto opines that the term “bisaya” comes
from the Malay word ‘saya,’ which means “joyful” or “gay” [sadya in
Cebuano]. 53 In Cebuano, as well as in Tagalog, ‘saya’ also refers to the
skirt, that attire that is merrily worn by women. The Latin term sagia
also pertains to the wearing of skirt. Another aspect noteworthy of
observation is the Cebuano word for ‘fun,’ that is ‘lingaw,’ is normally
used in casual and customary greetings by preferably saying, “Unsa’y
lingaw?” (informal, literally, “What’s the fun?” or “What’s
entertaining/amusing you at the moment?”) rather than asking “How
are you?” These manifest how the Bisayan are fun-oriented people as
embedded in their language.
51 Leonardo R. Estioko, Gone to the dogs: A phenomenology of dogs. Manila:
Logos Publications, Inc., 2001.
52 See Ignacio Francisco Alcina, S. J., History of the Bisayan People in the
Philippine Islands, Part One, Book 1, Volume 1. Manila: UST Publishing House, 2002, 72-
79.
53 Trizer Dale D. Mansueto, “Who is truly the Bisaya?” Philippine Daily Inquirer,
August 2013.
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